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Concrete: A Highly Sustainable Building Material

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Concrete as a material can be viewed in different ways. Here a builder and developer explains how versitle the material is and its superiority.

With the term ?concrete jungle? having become to popular and widely used, it is easy to overlook that this building material has been around for so long for very good reasons. Also, that it has some excellent attributes which make it very important in today?s context.

Yes, it is easy to produce and use, but the fact is that concrete is an eminently environmentally friendly building material during the entire span of its life cycle, beginning from its production as a raw material right until it is demolished. This renders it the perfect and obvious building option for the construction of sustainable homes.

The cement utilized in concrete is sourced from limestone, which is an abundantly available mineral that will literally never deplete. However, one can also manufacture concrete from materials such as slag cement and fly ash, both of which are generated by industries like steel mills and power plants as waste byproducts. From the point of recycling of existing resources, concrete is therefore a real boon to the planet.

Concrete is also highly durable, and is used in erecting buildings which are not subject to rust, do not burn or otherwise degrade. In fact, buildings built with concrete have twice or even thrice the life- span of buildings erected with many other construction material. The life-spans for concrete building products can be double or triple those of other common building materials.

What is equally important from a sustainability perspective is that the use of concrete in forming the foundation, floors and walls of a building renders it extremely energy-efficient. One of the benefits of this building material is its ability to absorb and retain heat. In other words, people who live in homes built of concrete save significantly on both cooling and heating bills. In a concrete building, one can install air conditioners of lower capacity, resulting in significant electricity savings.

Also, concrete reduces the incidence of processes that result in urban heat islands. When concrete, which is inherently light in colour, is used to build pavements and roofs, the end result is that less heat is absorbed and more incoming solar radiation is deflected. Finally, concrete as a building material results in the least waste of raw building materials, as it can be manufactured and used in the actual quantities required to build a building or other project. Once a building or structure built of concrete has completed its life-cycle or fulfilled the purpose for which it was erected, the concrete can be recycled into aggregate which can then be used to lay concrete pavements or provide an underlying base for roads.

Authored by Kishor Pate, Chairman & Managing Director of Amit Enterprises Housing Ltd., a real estate development firm in pune.

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Concrete

JK Cement Declared Preferred Bidder For Gilund Limestone Block

Shares Edge Higher As Company Wins Rajasthan Block

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JK Cement gained after being declared preferred bidder for the Gilund Limestone Block in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, a lease area of 370.96 hectares. The firm saw its shares trade at Rs. 5550.05, up by 28.45 points or 0.52 per cent from the previous close of Rs. 5521.60 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs. 5569.15 and touched a high of Rs. 5625.00 and a low of Rs. 5531.00.

The stock recorded turnover of 1742 shares on the counter and the BSE group A stock with face value Rs. 10 has a 52 week high of Rs. 7565.00 on 20-Aug-2025 and a 52 week low of Rs. 4670.05 on 12-Jun-2026. Last one week high and low stood at Rs. 5625.00 and Rs. 5329.00 respectively. The promoters holding in the company stood at 45.66 per cent, while institutions and non-institutions held 40.61 per cent and 13.73 per cent respectively.

The e-auction conducted by the Government of Rajasthan resulted in the company being declared preferred bidder for the mining lease, and the allocation will enable the company to plan phased development of the deposit, subject to regulatory approvals. The Gilund block spans 370.96 hectares and its allocation is intended to support raw material security for the company’s cement operations in the region. The designation follows the government auction process and will allow the company to plan development and integration of the deposit into its supply chain.

The current market capitalisation stands at Rs. 430.38 billion (bn), reflecting market response to the mining news and prevailing valuation levels for the sector. Investors and analysts will watch for formal allotment and related disclosures that can clarify timelines, capital expenditure and expected production profiles. The report is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice, and market participants are advised to consult advisers before making decisions.

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Concrete

Star Cement Named Preferred Bidder For Boro Lakhindong Block

Preferred bidder for limestone mining lease in Assam

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Star Cement has been declared the preferred bidder for the mining lease for Boro Lakhindong West Block following e-auctions conducted by the Government of Assam. The block is located in Boro Lakhindong Village, Umrangso Tehsil, Dima Hasao District, Assam, and extends over an area of 123 hectares. The estimated limestone resource is 207.822 million (mn) tonnes (t), a quantity that will supply raw material for cement production and support the company’s manufacturing operations in the region.

The company is engaged in the manufacturing and selling of cement clinker and cement and distributes products across the north-eastern and eastern states of India. Star Cement operates plants and logistics networks that procure and process limestone to produce clinker for cement, and the addition of Boro Lakhindong is presented as a strategic enhancement of feedstock availability. The preferred bidder status secures rights to the specified lease area under the terms of the auction process.

Financial results for the company in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 showed a consolidated net profit rise of 20.24 per cent to Rs 1,481.0 mn on an 11.54 per cent increase in revenue to Rs 11,735.5 mn compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Those results reflected higher sales volumes and revenue growth in the company’s primary markets and are cited in company disclosures accompanying the lease announcement. The reported performance provides context to the company’s ability to pursue and finance new mining lease opportunities.

Market reaction to the declaration was modest, with the scrip rising zero point thirty six per cent to trade at Rs 212 on the BSE. The award of the Boro Lakhindong lease concludes the e-auction process for the west block and assigns operational rights to Star Cement as the preferred bidder, subject to completion of statutory and contractual formalities.

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KERC Proposal To Cut Rooftop Solar Export Tariff Raises Concern

Consumers and advocates urge regulator to reconsider change

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The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has proposed a reduction in the tariff paid for surplus electricity that rooftop solar installations export to the grid, prompting concern among consumers, renewable energy advocates and industry specialists. The proposal arrives while the Central government and state governments are promoting clean energy adoption and offering subsidy schemes to encourage rooftop solar deployment. Thousands of households in Karnataka, particularly in Bengaluru, have invested substantial sums in rooftop systems to reduce reliance on conventional power and support state renewable targets.

Stakeholders have raised questions about the implications of a lower export tariff for the financial attractiveness of rooftop solar investments and the pace of the state transition to renewables. Industry analysts warned that a reduction in compensation for excess generation could discourage new installations and extend payback periods for existing systems. Current messaging from authorities, which simultaneously promotes adoption while proposing lower export rates, has been described by user groups as creating contradictory signals for consumers.

Experts argued that policy measures should focus on grid modernisation rather than reducing consumer benefits, with investments in transmission and distribution networks needed to manage higher volumes of distributed solar generation. Consumer groups and renewable advocates are preparing written submissions to the regulator and are urging retention of incentives that support household adoption of rooftop systems. KERC has invited public objections and suggestions as part of a consultation process that will determine the final tariff framework.

The outcome of the consultation is expected to influence the future growth of rooftop solar across the state and shape investor confidence in small-scale renewable projects. Residents who have already installed rooftop panels are monitoring developments closely because changes to compensation mechanisms may affect household finances and the speed of return on investment. Observers noted that coherent policy, aligned incentives and grid upgrades would be essential to sustain momentum in the rooftop solar sector.

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